NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / NPC

Rugby: The inspiration behind former All Blacks captain Kieran Read's Counties Manukau return

Liam Napier
By Liam Napier
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
24 Aug, 2020 07:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Kieran Read training with Counties Manukau in 2018. Photo / Photosport

Kieran Read training with Counties Manukau in 2018. Photo / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kieran Read's influence on the Counties Manukau region will stretch well beyond his on-field contributions this provincial season.

Just as Dan Carter sharing his knowledge helped the Blues behind the scenes so, too, will Counties benefit from Read imparting his invaluable experience on the next generation.

Read, the dual World Cup winning No 8, last played in January and will therefore be eased into his rugby resumption after gaining approval from his Japanese club Toyota to sign with Counties for the full Mitre 10 Cup provincial season.

Auckland's lockdown permitting, Read will commute from Christchurch to link with the Counties squad next week for their camp in Ohope ahead of a pre-season hit out against Bay of Plenty in Whakatane on September 4, with a view to being ready for the Steelers' season-opener against Tasman in Pukekohe on September 12.

Over the past six months he has maintained fitness through home gym work and running but will now need to adjust to taking contact again.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

While other high profile returnees such as Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty and Liam Squire were not able to play for New Zealand sides due to prohibitive insurance costs, former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, as director of rugby at Toyota, helped pave the way for Read to pull on the Counties colours.

"I'm very thankful to Steve and Simon Cron our coach as well, they understand for me as an older athlete it's a long time out of the game," Read said on Monday after the Herald revealed he had signed with Counties.

"We weren't going to be playing in Japan until January so we weighed up whether it's best to have pre-season or actually get some games under my belt so I'm thankful for the opportunity to play some footy.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's been a long year I've only played a couple of games so they've given me the opportunity to get back on the field here with Counties and I'm really excited by that. It ticks a few boxes for the body but also for me in terms of being able to give back. That's where I'm at in my career. It's a place that's dear to my heart so to give back as much as I can to the region is what I'm looking forward to doing.

"Dad was pretty happy. He's a man of not too many words so he said 'well done' and a good nod so he was proud."

Discover more

Sport

Gregor Paul: 7 ways to know if you're a pushy rugby parent

22 Aug 11:42 PM
Sport|rugby

Exclusive: Kieran Read to make New Zealand rugby return

23 Aug 05:00 PM
Sport|rugby

Fresh doubts over North v South match

24 Aug 03:30 AM
Sport

Dylan Cleaver: Is Raelene Castle next in line for NZ sport's top job?

24 Aug 05:00 AM
Kieran Read training with Counties Manukau in 2018. Photo / Photosport
Kieran Read training with Counties Manukau in 2018. Photo / Photosport

Read signed with Toyota for the 2020 and 2021 seasons after leading the All Blacks to third place at last year's the World Cup in Japan. At that stage, he had given up the prospect of making his proper debut for his home province, having played once previously in a 2018 preseason match on return from back surgery.

"That was one of my dreams growing up but I didn't get that chance. These are pretty crazy times with what's happening in the world I'm back in New Zealand at the moment. I'm very fortunate to get this chance. My club in Japan kind of realised I don't need to be on the sidelines for much longer."

Emerging as a talented rugby and cricket prospect from Drury, where his parents still reside, Read was inspired by icons of South Auckland rugby. The 34-year-old's full circle journey now gives him the chance to savour a return to his roots and draw crowds to the same grassroots venue he attended as a kid.

"South Auckland shaped me as a person growing up. I absolutely love it. Jonah was my hero. He was the guy who really inspired me to play. To see him first hand and see what he did around the community as well was huge. Then the likes of Jim Coe. I watched him play and how tough he was for Counties and what he did for the province and then I got to play under him for the secondary school team. Those types of blokes were real heroes I looked up to."

Phone calls with requests for Read to make club rugby appearances throughout the Counties region have already started flooding in and it's in these instances, as well as his influence on the younger members of the Steelers squad, where the true value of his presence will be keenly felt.

"Yes I want to try and play well but I think it's bigger than that. Hopefully I can utilise the knowledge and skills I've picked up over my career to help them out."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from NPC

Rugby|npc

Ex-All Black tells of surviving 'terminal' cancer and battling brother for black jersey

21 Jun 12:00 AM
New Zealand

'Never felt so alone': Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

17 Jun 05:00 PM
Super Rugby

'Wrecking ball': Ex-All Blacks midfielder signs with Moana Pasifika

10 Jun 12:34 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from NPC

Ex-All Black tells of surviving 'terminal' cancer and battling brother for black jersey

Ex-All Black tells of surviving 'terminal' cancer and battling brother for black jersey

21 Jun 12:00 AM

At 15, Greg Cooper was told he had only six months to live.

'Never felt so alone':  Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

'Never felt so alone': Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

17 Jun 05:00 PM
'Wrecking ball': Ex-All Blacks midfielder signs with Moana Pasifika

'Wrecking ball': Ex-All Blacks midfielder signs with Moana Pasifika

10 Jun 12:34 AM
Former All Black hails 'game-changing' brain test

Former All Black hails 'game-changing' brain test

23 Apr 01:15 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP